4-track mag stereo festival (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Joseph]

The tribute to 35mm 4-track mag stereo starts November 29th for 2 weekends at the American Cinematheque (The Egyptian Theatre) in Hollywood.
All features are either dye-transfer Technicolor or LPP EastmanColor.
Here's the link to the complete schedule:
http://egyptiantheatre.com/archive19.../4trackmag.htm
In addition, a special free show has been added:
Sunday, December 8 - 2:30 PM
Special Added Attraction - Free Screening!
"4-Track Magnetic Stereo and Cinemascope Demonstration Film" 1953, 20th
Century Fox, approx. 90 min. This incredibly rare, 5-reel film was produced
in 1953 by 20th Century Fox to sell theatre owners on the then-brand new
technologies of 4-track mag stereo and Cinemascope projection. Hosted by
legendary Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck, the film features clips from
several of the first Cinemascope and stereo productions being made at the
studio in the early 1950's. Please note that this, the only surviving
print, is extremely faded; because of its rarity, we're including it here as
a free event.
-------------------------
Try not to miss these screenings. Most have not been seen properly since their original release. In almost all cases, this will be the last time to ever see these films in the format they were intended to be shown...
Jeff Joseph
SabuCat Productions

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

You're killing me, Jeff. While we've been having our share of good East Coast revivals lately (courtesy of Big Screen Classics and Loews Jersey ), we haven't had the pleasure of a mag stereo presentation.
LA members must go to these shows! "Journey to the Center of the Earth" in CinemaScope and Stereophonic sound - I'm as jealous as I can be over that one...

 

[SteveP]

Made it to THIS IS CINERAMA at the Dome, but terribly sorry to miss this series. Why, oh why didn't they leave the Egyptians' Dimension 150 screen where it truly belonged?

 

[Jeff Joseph]

I want to emphasize that "Journey to the Center of the Earth" is NOT a faded print. It's an LPP mag print struck in England in 1983...basically the last year mag was made and the first year LPP was made. A very very rare print (as are, in fact, most of the prints in this series).

Jeff

 

[Paul Linfesty]

What is an LPP print?

 

[Jeff Joseph]

Prior to 1983, most non-Technicolor film stocks faded. And since most mag stereo films were released in the 50’s and 60’s, well, most of them have faded as well. All original prints of “Journey to the Center of the Earth” are now red (if they exist at all). In late 1982, Kodak introduced “LPP” stock, which had much more stable color dyes. So in theory, anyway, prints struck after late 1982 won’t fade. Unfortunately, 1983 was when mag stereo finally came to an end. The last few films released in the format were “Yentl” and “Scarface”, among others. A handful of “old” titles were printed that year. Two prints each of “Oklahoma!” for example. Two of “2001”. And one print of “Journey to the Center of the Earth”. So the print of “Journey” that we are running is the only print that will ever exist in mag stereo and with proper color.

Jeff Joseph
SabuCat Productions

 

[MatthewA]

Were the Oklahoma! prints of the 70mm version or 35mm version?

 

[Jeff Joseph]

Oklahoma! prints:

1 35mm optical sound
1 35mm 3-track (no surround) mag/optical

A few years later, 2 70mm 30 fps prints were struck, one of which still survives.

70mm mag (6-track) did not die the same death as 35mm 4-track. Every once in awhile, a print is still made in this format. Last year, 4 70mm mag prints of "2001" were struck. This year, several "Lawrence" prints were struck in 70mm. Most were DTS, but a couple were 6-track mag. (A mag print ran at the Cinerama Dome).

But to the best of my knowledge, no 35mm mag has been struck since early 1984. At least in the U.S. Not positive about overseas, but I don't know of any.

Jeff

 

[MatthewA]

It's nice to know there's at least one decent 70mm print of Oklahoma about.

I hope that with the 60th anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's initial collaboration next year, there will be new DVDs of the non-anamorphic Fox titles (and, like I have previously mentioned, the uncut version of South Pacific). I'd particularly like to see all the films given a limited theatrical reissue.

 

[Jeff Joseph]

Actually, I'm not sure how "decent" the surviving print is of "Oklahoma!" in 70mm. I suspect it's pretty beat up by now... I saw it about 10 years ago and it was not that great even then.

I do not believe that the uncut "South Pacific" exists in any format.

Jeff

 

[Patrick McCart]

As for the demo film..

You say it's the only surviving print, but do any negatives exist for it?

 

[Jeff Joseph]

Don't know if the neg exists or not. The print is coming from Fox, however.

Jeff

 

[MatthewA]

The footage for the uncut South Pacific exists, according to Joe Caps. Ask him about the details.

 

[Jeff Joseph]

I've been screwing around with this stuff (old, lost films) for quite awhile now. Here's something I've learned: Unless it's accessible in some manner, it does not exist. I hear stories frequently about various films that exist "somewhere". Usually they turn out to be just that: Stories. Whether it's the uncut "Star is Born" or the lost Laurel and Hardy film "Rogue Song" or the long version of "South Pacific", I've basically had it at this point. Unless I see it (or someone who I trust, like Bob Harris, say) has seen it, it doesn't exist.

I'd sure like to be wrong, by the way.

Jeff

 

[SteveP]

Didn't the restored version of A STAR IS BORN premiere at Radio City Music Hall in 1983 with a full-coat 4-track mag soundtrack run in sync with the studio vaulted virgin dye-transfer print?
Here's hoping Fox pulls together SOUND OF MUSIC in 70MM and 6-track directional dialogue for its 40th anniversary in '05.

 

[Jeff Joseph]

Yes, but the "virgin" print was the short version. Edited into it were a couple of found musical numbers and other footage, but the film is still incomplete by around 15 minutes, I think.

By the way, that "virgin" print has since gone to vinegar and is no longer runable.

Jeff